Gas-engine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. I v A. ROSENBERG.

GAS ENGINE. No.5931859. Patented Nov. 16, 1897.

Ziyi,

y f d? if 7 ff 4 f 2 h f @5f v 9 a ,443.9 9j E @00 y ln'f f3 l M m'yzwf Mya/@far W 9 ,leoeizeyy (No Mdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. ROSENBERG- GAS ENGINE.

No. 593,859. Patented Nov. 16, 1897.

I Jetor eraezzey f@ l fg/t lPATENT I Fries.

ALBERT ROSENBERG, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

lGAS-ENGINE.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,859, dated November 16, 1897. Application iled May-1, 1896. Serial No. 589,881. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT RosENBnRe, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification. A

This invention relates to gas-engines, and has for its object to provide improved means for regulating the speed of the engine, to provide improved means for exploding the gas,

to provide improved exhaust mechanism, to provide an improved water-jacket for the cylinder, and, finally, to improve and simplify this class of engines generally.

To these ends my invention consists in the features and in the construction, arrangement, or combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved engine, the gas-supply valve being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the cylinder, illustrating the water-jacket, the igniter, and the exhaust and air-inlet valves. I Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the igniter-tube. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of my improved governor. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the tappet for operatin g the gas-supply valve and a portion. of the governor-spindle, and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional viewof a modification.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l indicates the engine-bed, having mounted thereon the working cylinder 2, engine-shaft 3, and wheel 4. A piston 5 is adapted to reciprocate in the cylinder 2, and its pitman 6 isconnected toa crank 7 on the engine-shaft in the usual manner.

The numeral 8 indicates the gas-supply chest, connected with a gas-supply pipe `9 and communicating with the end of the cylinder 2 by aport or passage 10. Seated upona suitable valve-seat in the gas-supply chest 8 is a valve 11, that opens outward relatively to the cylinder' to permit the gas to enter the cylinder and is normally held closed by a spring 12, said spring being Y of sufficient power to hold the valve Vclosed at all times,

excepting when positively opened by the governor mechanisln hereinafter described.

Supported in any suitable manner upon the cylinder is a casing 13, open at its upper end and inclosing the governor mechanism. Arranged centrally within the casing 13 is a vertically-movable spindle 14, supported in bearings 15 and 16. 'The bearing 15 consists of a recessed boss 17, forming the hub of` a spindle 18, attached to the casing and having balls 19 arranged in said recessed boss and forming an antifriction-bearing for the spindle, said balls being held in place by a gland 2.0, screwed into the boss. The bearing 16 is formed in a manner similar to the bearing 15 and is attached tothe bottom of the casing 13. Arranged upon the upper end of the casing is a spider 2l, through the hub of which is tapped an adjusting-screw 22, having a reduced portion 23, that enters a hollow reduced portion 24, formed on the upper end of the spindle 14, and serves to center said spindle. Arranged on the reduced portions 23 and 24 are washers 25 and 26, between which is disposed a coiled spring 27, that normally operates to force and hold down the spindle 14. The spindle issupported in position by a coiled spring 28, that rests at its lower end on the gland 2O of the bearing 15, and at its upper end bears against a washer 29, arranged on the spindle and on which rests an inverted cup-shaped hood 30, fixed on the spindle.

Upon the upper end of the spindle 14 is xed a fan consisting of a plurality of propeller-shaped blades 31, said fan rotating and rising and falling with the spindle. The spindle is rotated by a pulley 32, splined thereon and journaled in a spider 33, xed in the casing 13. The pulley 32 is driven by a cord or belt 35, that in turn is driven by the engineshaft or other moving part of the engine. It will thus be seen that the pulley and spindle are caused to rotate together, while the spindle may be moved vertically within the pulley. An eccentric 36 is geared to the engineshaft in such manner that it makes one revolution to every two revolutions of said shaft, and by means of the eccentric-rod 37 communicates a reciprocating movement to a rod 38, mounted in bearings 39, attached to the cyl- IOO inder. Pivotcd to the free end of the rod 38 is a centrally-slotted tappet 40, that straddles the lower end of the governor-spindle 14 and is supported thereon by a washer 41, resting on a pin 42, passing through said spindle. The tappet 40, as it is reci procated by the rod 3S, alternately engages and disengages the head 43 of the stem of the gas-supply valve 11 and operates to open said valve once in every four strokes of the piston, as will hereinafter appear, to admit a charge of gas tothe cylinder. The spindle 14 being rotated by the engine, should the speed of the latter become excessive the rotary fan 31, reacting upon the air within the casing,'will rise, carrying with it the spindle, and thus raises the tappet 40 out of the path of the head of the gas-supply valve, so that said tappet will not operate to open said valve until the speed of the engine is reduced and permits the spindle 14 to drop. A spring 44 is xed at one end to the end of the rod 3S and at its other end is provided with a set-screw 45, which bears against the upper side of the tappet 40. The purpose of said spring will be hereinafter described. The hood 30 serves to prevent dust and dirt from settling or being blown into the bearings beneath it, and a similar hood 30 may also be arranged over the casing 13. Supported upon the inlet end of the cylinder 2 is the iguiter-tube, consisting of a hollow tube or cylinder 4G, closed at its l upper end and at its lower end attached to the cylinder and registering with the interior thereof through a gort 47. Said igniter-tube upon one side is provided with a countersunk aperture 48, over which is secured a diaphragm 49. Said diaphragm is preferably formed of platinum or similar non-fusible in aterial and is seated in the countersink surrounding the aperture 4S and firmly secured in place by a washer 50, attached to the igniter-tube by means of screws or bolts. The diaphragm 49 is packed to its seat with a packing 5l, of asbestos or similar non-conductor of heat, to prevent the heat being communicated to the igniter-tube from the diaphragm, and said diaphragm is preferably made cupshaped, the convex side projecting inward toward the interior of the igniter-tube. Arranged directly in front of the diaphragm 49 is an injectonburner 52, comprising a shell having acontractcd discharge end 53 and con* nected by a pipe 54 with the governor-casing 13. AA tapered nozzle 55 is arranged centrally within the shell 52, its tapered end terminating near the contracted discharge end of said shell. A gas-pipe is connected to the rear end of the nozzle 55 and is tapped into the gas-supply pipe 9. The injector-burner operates to heat the diaphragm 49 and ignite the gas in the manner more fully hereinafter described.

To permit the escape of the smoke and burned gases after each explosion in the cylinder, I provide the latter at its closed end with an exhaust-port 57, over which is secured a Valve-casing 58, in which is seated an outwardly-closing valve 59. The valve 59 is provided with a stem GO, that projects through the casing 58, and about said stem is coiled a spring 6l, that normally holds the valve closed on its seat, said spring being of sufficient strength to hold the Valve closed at all times, excepting when positively opened by the means hereinafter described. For opening the valve I provide the following mechanism: Pivoted to a suitable support is a rocking lever 62, that at one end is adapted to engage the head of the valve-stem 60 and at its other end is pivotally connected to a link 63, that is in like manner connected to one end of a rocking lever 04,*pivoted to the side of the cylinder. The fr ee end of the rocking lever G4 is adapted to be engaged periodically by a tappet 65, carried by the reciprocating rod 38 and racked in such manner as to open the valve 59, as will more fully hereinafter be made apparent.

A valve G6, similar in construction to the exhaust-valve 59, controls an air-inlet port (57 in the end of the cylinder, the spring on said valve permitting it to open by atmospheric pressure when there is a partial vacuum in the cylinderthat is to say, while the cylinder is taking its supply of gas--for the admission of atmospheric air for admixture with the gas in the cylinder.

Surrounding the cylinder is a water-jacket GS, preferably constructed of a material fo rming a good conductor of heat-such as brass, for example. The Water-jacket GSis formed entirely separate from the cylinder 2 and consists of two concentric cylinders G9 and 70, united at one end by a head 71 and forming an annular chamber 7 The iiange 7 3 of the cylinder 2 is provided with an annular rib 74, over which is seated the open end of the water-jacket, said jacket also being provided with a ange 75, which is tightly secured to the fiange 73 of the cylinder by bolts 76. In order to iit the open end of the waterjacket to the cylinder water-tight, suitable packing 77 is interposed between the ends of said jacket and the iange 73. 'Water inlet and outlet pipes 78 and 79 are connected to the top and bottom, respectively, of the waterjacket and operate to maintain a circulation of water through the jacket in the usual manner. By forming the water-jacket separate from the cylinder and attaching it in the manner shown all danger of leaking of water from the jacket into the cylinder is avoided, While at the same time the jacket may be removed from the cylinder in case of necessity without disturbing thelatter. Furthermore, by forming the jacket of a material of good conductivity the cylinder is quickly brought to and maintained at a uniform and even temperature.

' The operation of my improved engine is as follows: During the operation of the engine loo TIO

IZO

A tate.

ascend against the downward thrust of the l explanation, the first stroke, and at the 593,859 I v e the governor-spindle 14 and'its attached fan l 31 are continuously rotated by the cord or belt 35, the speed of such rotation varying with the speed of the engine. The governor is set or adjusted by adjusting the tension of the spring 27 by means of the set-screw 22 or by adjusting the tension of the spring 44 by its setscrew 45 to cause either of said springs to resist with a determinate pressure the lifting force of the fan 31, caused by the blades of said fan reacting against the air as they ro- As longas the engine runs at or below a certain speed, and hence as long as the fan, is rotated -at a relatively-corresponding speed, the downward thrust of either of said springs will be sufficient to hold the governor-spindle 14 inits lowermost position, in which position it will support the tappet in a horizontal position, so that the tappet will periodically engage the stem 43 of the gas-supply valve l1 and open said valve to admit successive charges of gas tothe cylinder. Should, however, the speed of the engine become excessive, the increased rapidity with which the fan rotates causes the latter to react against the air with such force as to cause the fan to springs and raises the spindle 14, thus lifting the tappet 40 out of the path of the stem of the valve` 1l, whereby said tappet fails to engage the 'valve-stem and the supply of gas is cut off from the cylinder until the speed 0f the engine again becomes normal, Whenthe governor-spindle is again forced down, lowering the 'tappet into operative position and causing the gas-supply valve to be periodically opened, as before described. If it becomes necessary to utilize the maximum speed or power of the engine, both the springs 27 and 44 may be placed under tension to place a heavy load on the governor.

In addition to the fan operating as a gov- .ernor for regulating the speed of the engine it also operates as a means for furnishing a continuous blast of air to the injector-burner 52, the blades of the fan forcing the air downwardly in the casing 13, whence it escapes through the pipe 54 into the shell of the burner 52 and issues from the contracted discharge endof the. latter intimately mixed with the gas issuing from the nozzle 55. The blast of mixed gas and air, being ignited at the discharge end of the burner, impin ges in' the form of a ame of great intensity against the diaphragm 49 on the igniter-tube and heats said diaphragm red-hot', so that the gas when it is compressed in the cylinder, as hereinafter described, is ignited.

The operation of the governor and igniter having now been described, the operation of the engine will be readily understood. Let it be assumed that .the engine is running at normal speed and that a charge of gas has just been compressed and exploded "in the cylinder. The piston 5 will then ,be driven forward on What I shall call, for the sake of completion of. said stroke will have turned the engine-shaft 3 and its wheel 4 one-half of a revolution. All the different parts of the engine will then be in the position shown in Fig. 1. During this half-revolution of the engine-shaft the eccentric 36 has been rotated one-fourth of a revolution and du ring the final part of said partial revolution has moved the reciprocating rod 38 forward, causing the tappet 6,5 to engage the end of the lever 64 and rock the same into the position shown in Fig. 1. The rocking lever 62, through the medium of the link 62, is rocked in a corresponding direction, opening the exhaustvalve 59, so that the smoke and burned gases are expelled as the piston moves on its return or second stroke. During-this second stroke the engine-shaft completes its second halfrevolution, rotating the eccentric 36 a second quarter-revolution, which moves the rod 38 backward, the exhaust-valve gradually closing as Athe piston completes said stroke, so that at the end of the stroke the said exhaustvalve is completely closed. By this time the tappet 40 will have engaged thestem of the gas-supply valve 11, and as the piston moves on the next or thirdstroke, which is again in an outward direction, the gas-supply valve is first opened and then closed, admitting a charge of gas into the cylinder. Duringthis stroke the air-inlet valve 66 opens, admitting air into the cylinder with the gas. At the end of this stroke the valve 66 will automatically close. Upon the return or fourth stroke of the piston the gas and air in the cylinder is intermixed and compressed, and at the end of this stroke the gaseous vapor will have been' compressed to such a density that .the red-hot diaphragm in the igniter-tube will IOO ignite the'same and cause it to explode, driving the piston forward, as before. Briefly l stated, then, on the first stroke the piston is driven forward by the explosion, on the second stroke the smoke and burned gases are expelled, o`n the third stroke the gas and air are admitted, and on the fourth stroke the gasis compressed and at the end of the stroke exploded.

lI have described my governor as being applied to a gas-engine, but it will be readily apparent to those skilledin the .art that it may be employed as aspeed-governo'r for-all kindsof engines or motors. I have also described the engine as using gas as the motive power, but Iwish to be understood as including in the term gas-engine explosive-engines of all kinds. Y

While I have shown the governor inclosed within a casing and furnishing a blast of air for a blowpipe or injector-burner, it will be evident that the casing and blowpipe may be dispensed wit-h.

While I have shown the governor as furnishing the blast for heating the igniter, I may use a separate blower or bellows for this purpose.

IIoA

I may ll the cup in which the fan rotates with glycerin, or an oil instead, for the medium air with which to govern the engine, and I wish to be understood as regarding a fiuid of any kind as being the full equivalent of atmospheric air. lVhen a liquid is employed instead of air, the casing 13 will not be connected with the injector-burner, but will be closed at its bottom, and the fan will be fitted to the lower end of the spindle, so as to rotate in the bottom of the casing, the drive-pulley being arranged above the casin g, as shown in Fig. G. In this form of device the valve-spindle will be arranged beneathV the tappet 40. The operation is the same as that before described.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. In a gas-engine, the combination with `the cylinder and a self-closing gas-supply valve therefor, of a pivoted reciprocating tappet actuated by the engine for periodically engaging and openin g said valve,'a verticallymovable, rotatable spindle supported on a yielding support and connected to said pivoted tappet, a rotary fan having inclined blades fixed on said spindle and operating to lift the same by the reaction of the fan against the atmosphere to throw the valve-operating mechanism out of operation, a spring for normally holding said tappet in position for engaging the valve, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring, substantially as described.

2. In a governor for gas-engines, the cornbination with fixed bearings l5 and 16, of a vertically-movable, rotatable spindle li journaled therein and having splined thereon a driving-pulley 32 journaled in a fixed bearing, a rotary fan 3l having inclined blades fixed on said spindle and operating to lift the spindle by reacting against the atmosphere, an adjustable spring 27 for normally holding said spindle down, a hood fixed on the spindle above the said fixed bearings, and valve-operating mechanism thrown into and out of operation by the vertical movement of the spindle, substantially as described.

3. In a gas-engine, the combination with the cylinder, a self-closing gas-supply valve 1l, and a normally-closed 'exhaust-valve 59, of a reciprocating rod 38 actuated by the engine, a tappet -fO pivoted to said rod and normally held in position for engaging the valve ll to periodically open the latter, a rocking lever G2 adapted to engage the valve 50, a rocking lever Cf, a link (53 connecting said levers, a tappet 65 on the rod 3S arranged to periodically engage the lever 6l and open the exhaust-valve, and a speed-governor driven by the engine for throwing the tappet out of the path of the gas-supply valve when the speed of the engine becomes excessive, substantially as described.

4. The combination in a gas-engine, of a cylinder, an igniter-tube, an injector-burner for deliveringajet of flame against said tube, and a fan-governor provided with an inclosing casing having an air inlet and an outlet pipe leading to the injector-burner, substantially as described.

5. In a gas-engine, the combination with the cylinder 2 provided at one end with an annular flange 73, of the water-jacket 68 surrounding said cylinder and having two concentric walls Gl and 70 and a head 7l, an annular fiange on the end of the wall, and means for securing the open end of the water-jacket to the flange 7 3 of the cylinder, substantially as described.

G. The combination with a motor, of a speedgovernor comprising a rotary fan driven by said motor and arranged to move in a line coincident with its axis of rotation, a speedregulating device connected with said governor and controlled by the axial movement of the latter, and a casing inclosing the governor and adapted to inelose the medium in which the governor revolves, substantially as described.

7. In a governor for gas-engines, the coinbination of a rotatable, lengthwise-movable spindle journaled in fixed bearings, a pulley loosely splined on said spindle and journaled in bearings independent of the spindle-bearings, means for driving said pulley, and a rotary fan fixed to said spindle and operating to lift the latter.

8. In a governor for gas-engines, the combination with fixed bearings, of a verticallymovable, rotatable spindle j ourn aled therein, means for rotating the spindle', a rotary fan fixed on the spindle, and a hood fixed on the spindle above the fixed bearings, substantially as described.

9. In a governor for gas-engines, the combination of a spindle, a fan fixed on the spindle, means for driving the spindle, and separate ball-bearings in which the spindle is journaled and in which it is revolubly and lengthwise movable, substantially as described.

10. In a gas-engine, the combination with the cylinder and a self closing gas supply valve therefor, of a reciprocating rod actuated by the engine for periodically engaging and opening said valve, avertically-movable rotatable spindle, a rotary fan having inclined blades fixed on said spindle and operating to lift the same by the reaction of the fan against the atmosphere, a pivoted lever engaged by said spindle and operated thereby to throw the valve-operating mechanism out of operation, means for normally holding said lever in position for operating the valve, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring, substantially as described.

1l. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder and a reciprocating piston, of a water-jacket surrounding said cylinder and comprising two concentric cylinders detach- IOO IOS

IIO

. ably secured on the engine-cylinder and closed at their ends, substantially as described.

'12. In a gas-engine, the combination with the cylinder and a self-closing gas-supply valve therefor, a vertically-movable, rotatable spindle, a pivoted lever for operating said valve, said lever being out away to receive said spindle, means for rotating the spindle, and means for moving said spindle vertically, substantially as described. v

13. In a gas-engine, the combination with the cylinder and a self closing gas supply valve therefor, ofva pivoted lever for operating said valve, a vertically-movable rotatable spindle connected to said lever, a rotary fan having inclined blades attached to said IleSSeS.

ALBERT ROSENBERG. Witnesses:

J ULIA RosENBERG, .BIRDIE RosENBERG. 

